S04.E09: Semi-Final

[Athena]

It is the semi-final and there are just four bakers left. This round is the French round and the all-female semi-finalists have just three French bakes standing between them and a place in the final.

 

The signature challenge raises the stakes, tasking the bakers to make three different types of savoury canapé in just two and a half hours. One type must be choux, the second another type of pastry such as shortcrust or rough puff, and the third can be anything of their choice, from biscuits to scones to dim sum. Mary and Paul will be looking for a professional finish and with so many techniques to cram into such a short time frame, there will be no room for mistakes.

 

The technical challenge requires the bakers to combine techniques they have shown throughout the series, this time all packaged into a recipe for the complex Charlotte Royal, which combines the perfect swiss roll surrounding a delicate bavarois, set with gelatin to firm a firm dome once turned out - hopefully.

 

The final challenge is a truly iconic French patisserie, the opera cake. Whilst Mel travels to the Paris Opera House to discover where the dessert originated, the semi-finalists battle to create the distinctive layers in their own take on the classic that will hit the right note with the judges.

[Frost]

The Charlotte Royale thing was about the most unappetizing desert I've ever seen.  Whoever thought that was a good idea?  I don't care what it tastes like, I don't think eating something that looks like brains is appealing.

 

The Opera cakes were kind of disappointing all around.  Frances' looked the best I thought.  It was rather surprising because I would think the top four would have all had great looking cakes.

[Ketzel]

If Ruby ends up winning this competition, I will be very disappointed. I would be forced to credit all the handwringing and pouting and drooping and peering up at Paul with sad puppy eyes as a feature of her success, because her skills at the actual baking part did not impress me more than once.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Ketzel

[Jodithgrace]

I thought the Charlotte Royal was kind of fun. But I agree that the Opera cakes were disappointing. Ruby's was especially sad looking, though lucky for her it was the best tasting. I wouldn't like the original version of the opera cake since it features coffee, which I hate. I dislike tiramisu for the same reason.

Poor Becca..that banana essence bit her in the bum. Those extracts aren't very good tasting and can give a very artificial flavor. (vanilla and almond being the exceptions, since I believe those are made with actual ingredients rather than chemistry) 

The canapés looked lovely and so fun. Francis, especially had beautiful ones. (and she got the Hollywood handshake!) I was surprised that Ruby's were considered good looking since I thought them a bit sloppy, myself. 

I am afraid that Ruby's self doubts will kill her in the finale..I think that Kimberly will win the whole thing. That is my totally unspoiled prediction. 

[editorgrrl]

If Ruby ends up winning this competition, I will be very disappointed. I would be forced to credit all the handwringing and pouting and drooping and peering up at Paul with sad puppy eyes as a feature of her success, because her skills at the actually baking part did not impress me more than once.

I hated Ruby's sad panda face before they announced who was going home. Her showstopper had good flavor and texture—the fault was in the appearance. Beca's was the opposite, and the judges wouldn't favor style over substance.

[shandy]

Why did the Charlotte need that gloopy glaze? That's what put me off. 

 

Welsh Beca sent home - I feel like Kathy Bates in Misery and want to insist it hasn't happened. I liked that she adapted flavors that her family enjoyed and her friendship with Glenn was sweet and funny. Her easy informality with Sue and Mel contrasted with the other three, who I always feel want them to disappear down a drain. Kimberly and Frances are 'nice' but all business about moving forward - Christine and Beca seemed to enjoy making friendships with the other bakers.  I don't know what motivates Ruby!

[DeLurker]

I grew very fond of Beca too - her singing with one of the hosts cracked me up.  And I never knew it wasn't Welsh Rabbit, so thank you closed caption.  I have no idea what rarebit is....maybe I'll google it somedy.  And talking about Planet Frances - ha!

 

I don't think I ever want to see a Charlotte - even Mary's failed to hold any appeal to me.

[editorgrrl]

I have no idea what rarebit is....maybe I'll google it someday.

Applebee's (or one of those chains) calls it "beer cheese." Beca used Cheddar, ale, mustard + worcestershire sauce.

[Rinaldo]

The Charlotte Royale thing was about the most unappetizing desert I've ever seen. 

 

Why did the Charlotte need that gloopy glaze? That's what put me off.

I already posted in a previous thread about my love for Beca's dry comments on what they're asked to do in Technical challenges. This was my favorite of all: she pours the glaze over, murmuring "Mmmmm -- appp-petizing!!"

And I never knew it wasn't Welsh Rabbit, so thank you closed caption.  I have no idea what rarebit is....maybe I'll google it somedy.

Actually it was Welsh Rabbit originally. It was one of those centuries-ago ethnic slurs (perhaps even self-applied), to the effect of "That's what the Welsh eat in place of an elegant rabbit dinner: bread with cheese." Over the years the name sometimes got genteel-zed into rarebit, the elements got upgraded a bit, and it became valued as a delicacy in itself.

[StrictTime]

I can't wait until Ruby is off of my TV. That is all.

[notnowimbusy]

I HATE when they leave out specific directions to a recipe.  Aren't they trying to see how these contestants do when given a specific task?  Why do they insist on leaving out critical parts to the recipe?   Ruby always makes me want to scream.  

[Mondrianyone]

I'm sorry Beca's gone, too.  It's awful that they insist on having you endure an interview when you're barely able to speak for sobbing, but I guess that's part of the deal.  She did make me laugh during the first challenge, when she had flour all over her nose.  It looked as if she'd dunked her face into a big bowl of cocaine to get through the weekend!

 

And way to suck all the attention toward yourself, Ruby.  Even when she's not the one eliminated, it's her suffering that takes center stage.  I honestly don't know why someone who seems to find the whole competition such a weepy ordeal is in it in the first place.

 

Just in passing, I don't think I realized till this episode how beautiful Frances is. 

[chessiegal]

I HATE when they leave out specific directions to a recipe.  Aren't they trying to see how these contestants do when given a specific task?  Why do they insist on leaving out critical parts to the recipe?   Ruby always makes me want to scream.  

One of the things they are looking for is how good of a baker are you? If you're a good one, you don't need specific amounts, ingredients, or bake times. You know ratios of eggs,flour,milk, or whatever to make the final product. In other words, you don't need a recipe - you know how it's done.

[wonderwoman]

"I can't wait until Ruby is off of my TV. That is all."

Well, only one more week:). And, frankly, given the quality of her charlotte and canapes, I was shocked that she wasn't gone this week, though I was thrilled that Kimberly got star baker.

Edited November 2, 2015 by wonderwoman

[Rinaldo]

I HATE when they leave out specific directions to a recipe.  

Theoretically, the idea of giving "sparse" directions in Technical challenges is that the omitted bits are things that a really good baker, one who understands how things work, should know to do: how to prepare pans, how to combine elements for pastry, how long a particular item should bake and at what temperature, and so on.

 

Actually, I'm not always certain that they negotiate this line accurately or appropriately.

[GaT]

I really enjoyed the canapes, there were a number of them I wanted to eat, but I knew that Beca was gone as soon as they judged her canapes & they weren't as good as everyone else's.

 

Charlotte Royale is a very strange looking dessert, but I would like to taste it. I think it looks delicious.

 

The opera cakes were not a success. After the show when they had the "Baking Bite" & showed what a professional opera cake looked like, it made it very obvious that nobody really got it right.

 

Is "scrummy" a British thing or a Mary thing? This is the only place I've ever heard it used.

 

I think it's Kimberley for the win.

[Quilt Fairy]

Is "scrummy" a British thing or a Mary thing? This is the only place I've ever heard it used.

Whenever I hear Mary say that, it always takes me a second or two to pick up that she's not saying something is bad or 'crummy' but rather what I assume is a British variant of 'scrumptious', or really tasty.

 

I wasn't impressed with any of the showstoppers, either, and then with the extra at the end showing what an opera cake should look like, it appears they all did poorly.

[SophiaD]

My guess is that scrummy is a combination between "scrumptious" and "yummy."

 

I thought Ruby's faces and tears were because she thought she was going to be the person who was leaving.  I can't really say anything mean about her, because, compared to my 21-year-old self, she is poised, confident, talented, and very beautiful.  Plus, she gets the flavors.  I'd probably have been just as negative and hard on myself at 21.

 

I think it's between Frances and Kimberly.  The canapes looked yummy, but I wasn't tempted by either the Charlotte Royale or any of the Opera cakes the contestants put together. 

[Jodithgrace]

I don't think that Paul/Mary leave out key instructions on the Technical bakes. Every week, the bakers manage to produce at least a good approximation of these desserts, some of which the bakers have never even heard. And usually at least one baker totally nails it, like Kimberly did this week. They are intended to be a challenge, however, so they aren't told every little thing. For example, they weren't told to line the bowls, yet they were proved with cling film, so that was a logical leap that they all took..except Ruby at first. 

[Zahdii]

This episode is up:

 

Season 2, Episode 9: French Week

 

http://video.pbs.org/video/2365541736/

[BusyOctober]

Becca was in my Top Two w/ Kimberley.  I like Ruby the least.  I'm tired of all the 'woe as me' faces.  She is definitely talented but I don't get why she gets more passes than others (IMO) for the look of many of her bakes.  Yes, food needs to taste good, but P & M constantly harp on the "looks" of these creations.  So it seems inconsistant that Ruby's messy things slide past when othe more visually appealing items are criticized and bakers are eliminated.

 

I can't see P & M allowing Frances to win...they are put off by all her cutesy-wootsey styling.  Even thought she reined it in a bit and got the Hollywood Handshake, I think they will be biased about letting her win it (again, IMO).  So I predict the winner will be Ruby or Kimberley. 

[DeLurker]

I thought Ruby's faces and tears were because she thought she was going to be the person who was leaving.  I can't really say anything mean about her, because, compared to my 21-year-old self, she is poised, confident, talented, and very beautiful.  Plus, she gets the flavors.  I'd probably have been just as negative and hard on myself at 21.

 

I think it's between Frances and Kimberly.  The canapes looked yummy, but I wasn't tempted by either the Charlotte Royale or any of the Opera cakes the contestants put together. 

Oh yes, my 21 year old self compares poorly to Ruby too.  She doesn't bug me as she does some of the others.

 

I'm thinking it is down to Ruby and Kimberly.  Frances too often put style over substance/taste, although that seems to have gotten better, but I am surprised she has made it this far.  I feel it should be Kimberly as winner though.

[larapu2000]

FINALLY, Kimberly gets Star Baker!

 

Yes, the canapes were definitely the best part.  Even though Paul didn't like Becca's Stilton macaron, I would like 500,please.  What a dynamite idea.  I wonder if the Stilton could be tamed by mixing in some cream cheese and making it more of a Stilton "spread," if, in fact, the Stilton was too strong?  (Which I don't believe is possible and Paul can fuck right off).  All of them sounded so tasty!  

 

Not only do Ruby's creations always look a mess, her workstation is a nightmare of a mess!  How could anyone work neatly in the catastrophe she's worked up?

 

I'd try the Charlotte, too.  That glaze was weird, but I'm guessing it's to help set the jelly or keep the cake moist.  It probably has no discernible affect on the flavor.  

[Mabinogia]

Ruby is the first contestant on my two seasons of watching that I actively want gone. I don't dislike her. I don't think she's a terrible baker (apparently her flavors are excellent though how anyone would find out since most people wouldn't look twice at the messes she puts out, we eat with our eyes as much as our mouths). She's very young. BUT, she is exhausting! I can't stand the way she is being coddled. I don 't remember then treating Martha like a porcelain doll, then again, she never really acted like one.

 

I will miss Becca. She was fun. But since they are afraid to boot Ruby for fear of her completely falling apart, it was her time to go.

[Frost]

Was 2 1/2 hours not enough for the Opera cake?  Remembering some of the spectacular show stoppers from past episodes, this one seemed relatively easy (spoken by someone who is not a Star Baker!) and I was kind of dumbfounded by the results.

[editorgrrl]

Yes, the canapes were definitely the best part. Even though Paul didn't like Becca's Stilton macaron, I would like 500, please. What a dynamite idea. I wonder if the Stilton could be tamed by mixing in some cream cheese and making it more of a Stilton "spread," if, in fact, the Stilton was too strong? (Which I don't believe is possible and Paul can fuck right off).

Paul's critique was that the thick slice of cheese wasn't connected in any way to the "bun." He suggested melting the cheese with a torch, but your spread idea would've worked, too.

Beca has since changed the recipe—adding cream cheese (great minds!) and pear chutney: https://becamurphlp.wordpress.com/2015/10/09/stilton-walnut-macarons-cake-bake-show-2015/

[Ketzel]

I'd try the Charlotte, too.  That glaze was weird, but I'm guessing it's to help set the jelly or keep the cake moist.  It probably has no discernible affect on the flavor.

It's not the flavor I'd be worried about if I were making a Charlotte. (As if! :)) It's the texture. That glaze looked as if it would create an unnecessary and unpleasantly thick layer on top of the soft cake.

[Mabinogia]

It looked like that jelly you find around a canned ham which...eww

[Quilt Fairy]

I don't think that Paul/Mary leave out key instructions on the Technical bakes. Every week, the bakers manage to produce at least a good approximation of these desserts, some of which the bakers have never even heard. And usually at least one baker totally nails it, like Kimberly did this week. They are intended to be a challenge, however, so they aren't told every little thing. For example, they weren't told to line the bowls, yet they were proved with cling film, so that was a logical leap that they all took..except Ruby at first. 

I guess that depends on what your definition of "key instruction" is. To me the time and temperature - one of which always seems to be left out - are definitely key instructions. That being said, I thought that the technical challenge does intentionally leave out some really critical information like that, which is the point of the challenge. It's not just "They've left me 23 ingredients and a box of cling film on the counter and I have to figure out how to use it all." Someone feel free to correct me if I'm in error.

[Rinaldo]

That being said, I thought that the technical challenge does intentionally leave out some really critical information like that, which is the point of the challenge. It's not just "They've left me 23 ingredients and a box of cling film on the counter and I have to figure out how to use it all." Someone feel free to correct me if I'm in error.

My understanding, borne out by the bits of the technical instructions which I've been able to screen-capture and read, is that things aren't just left out "to make the puzzle harder." Rather, they are given "professional level" recipes. An experienced baker will know how to make all the building blocks called for -- how to make a sponge, a swiss roll, puff pastry, a crème patissière, how hot and how long a certain kind of cake or pastry bakes (and more crucially, how you can tell when it's done, because it's never purely a matter of time), and so on. A recipe for such bakers just tells them in what order to do the operations they already know, and how to assemble them for this particular result. "Make a genoise as usual," "make strawberry jam," that sort of thing. 

 

As contestant Nancy said in one of the competitions, "It's all about whether you've got the tricks of the trade at your fingertips."

[Brattinella]

If Ruby ends up winning this competition, I will be very disappointed. I would be forced to credit all the handwringing and pouting and drooping and peering up at Paul with sad puppy eyes as a feature of her success, because her skills at the actually baking part did not impress me more than once.

 

Truly, I was shocked she was not eliminated last week for that patch of mud with rickety building!  I am SO tired of her deprecating ways and pouting and she really should just go be a MODEL.  She is pretty enough and she can pull faces all she wants in modeling.

[little black cloud]

I've figured out what bothers me about Ruby. She just doesn't seem like any fun. What I love about this show is how likable almost all of the contestants seem to be, and while I'm sure Ruby's perfectly nice, I find it hard to relate to people who don't seem they could ever just cut loose, joke around, and enjoy themselves. She's just intense and exhausting, no matter how good her food might taste and independent of how awful it often looks.

 

(That's part of why I miss Christine — she seemed like she had a streak of naughtiness that always made me smile — and why I was so sorry to see Beca go.)

[backgroundnoise]

It looked like that jelly you find around a canned ham which...eww

Hee.  For some reason the movie "Aliens" sprang to my mind.

 

If I got a handshake from Paul I'd swoon.

Edited November 2, 2015 by backgroundnoise

[meep.meep]

The opera cakes were not a success. After the show when they had the "Baking Bite" & showed what a professional opera cake looked like, it made it very obvious that nobody really got it right.

 

Is "scrummy" a British thing or a Mary thing? This is the only place I've ever heard it used.

 

I think it's Kimberley for the win.

 

The opera cakes were awful because the judges wanted them to be customized and really it's chocolate, coffee, and almonds.  When you start messing with it, it stops being that kind of cake.  So, they liked Ruby's, the best and she stuck to the traditional flavors for the most part, and Becca's, with the banana, the least.

 

I'm rooting for Kimberley too. Loved her call home and all the cheering on the other end.

[DeLurker]

Belated thanks for the rarebit explanation and history!  Not sure how I would feel about eating rabbit, but I'd give rarebit a go!

[jenh526]

This episode is up:

 

Season 2, Episode 9: French Week

 

http://video.pbs.org/video/2365541736/

 

Thank you for posting this! Once again, I missed the episode and it's not on On Demand. Is Comcast really that evil that it knows which episodes I haven't watched and makes those not available on On Demand? Or am I just being paranoid?

[GaT]

Thank you for posting this! Once again, I missed the episode and it's not on On Demand. Is Comcast really that evil that it knows which episodes I haven't watched and makes those not available on On Demand? Or am I just being paranoid?

Comcast is evil.

[Brattinella]

Belated thanks for the rarebit explanation and history!  Not sure how I would feel about eating rabbit, but I'd give rarebit a go!

 

I stopped eating rabbit when my father butchered my angoras for dinner. :(

[meep.meep]

Comcast is evil.

 

And PBS is lame.  Wait a day or two and it should be up on demand.

[garnet]

  Don't know about other cities, but in the Chicago area, episodes are re-run on PBS Prime on Tues, afternoons (usually at 4pm). 

[FoundTime]

Thank you for posting this! Once again, I missed the episode and it's not on On Demand. Is Comcast really that evil that it knows which episodes I haven't watched and makes those not available on On Demand? Or am I just being paranoid?

I gave up on Comcast On Demand watching S1 here (very inconsistent in putting up eps) and have been DVRing each week's episode this season. I'm glad it's available online too, though.

 

I think this is Kimberley's to lose. She continues to knock it out of the park in at least one challenge every week and I love her sunny disposition. I don't mind Ruby, but I will miss Becca, as once I found out she was Welsh I would always send her a little extra love based on my trip to Wales several years ago :-)

 

It does seem the technicals do occasionally (or maybe regularly) include instructions like "Make the custard." Which does presume a basic knowledge/mastery of certain fundamentals.

 

This show doesn't have the same kind of KF (killer fatigue) that Amazing Race or Survivor does, but at this point, you've been living and breathing baking for two solid months (weekends competing and then practicing "in the week," as one of them said) and I think that would take a bit of a toll eventually, which might account for the state of the Opera cakes.

[LittleIggy]

That Charlotte cake would be great for a Halloween zombie party!

[Quilt Fairy]

  Don't know about other cities, but in the Chicago area, episodes are re-run on PBS Prime on Tues, afternoons (usually at 4pm). 

Speaking of Chicago, did anyone else have a problem during the Sunday night airing?  It would sort of stop and pixelate out and the sound would drop for 5-10 seconds and then it would come back. Usually that kind of thing goes away eventually but it was like that for the entire episode. Really annoying because this is a show that I Really Want To Watch. Thank God WTTW has something like 3 other channels on Comcast, so I set it to DVR again on WTTW Prime. No problems.

 

I've figured out what bothers me about Ruby. She just doesn't seem like any fun.

She's majoring in Philosophy. If I were doing that I wouldn't be any fun, either.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Quilt Fairy

[Qoass]

Ruby is beautiful enough to model.  The way she slumps over the counter, I thought she must be quite tall but in the group hugs, she's about the same size as everyone else.  She's just.. droopy.  Talented and beautiful but droopy.

[emma675]

 

Beca used Cheddar, ale, mustard + worcestershire sauce.

I had no idea what Welsh Rarebit was before this episode, but it sound delicious. I like all of those things.

 

I knew Beca was leaving the second they started in on her canapes and how "simple" they looked. Give me a break! Her tray was miles better than Ruby's and I'm still not over Paul calling her cheese board cake simple, either. I knew poor, sadsack Ruby would be in the finals after that. 

 

I think it will be Frances as the winner. I don't know why, but I feel like Mary isn't totally on board with Kimberly. If Ruby wins I will throw something at my tv.

Edited November 3, 2015 by emma675d

[Lura]

I'm rewriting this post because I let myself down with my previous post.  I didn't realize that the rumor about Paul originated in the tabloids because I don't read them.  Casting aspersions on Paul or on Ruby, based on a tabloid rumor, is less than honorable to me, and I'm sorry I posted it.  I do enjoy Paul as a judge and think he adds both knowledge and fun to this show.

 

My favorite baker was Beca, so I was sorry to see her go.  As Ruby said, it must have been a close call between the two of them. 

 

One thing that I've enjoyed both last year and this year is the contestants themselves.  They're consistently enjoyable people to watch.  The show provides opportunities for us to see them not only baking but interacting, and I've found most all of them easy to like.  Ruby is really the only baker to cause me to question her sincerity, and I hope that she doesn't win, although I'm afraid that she may.  Kimberly seems to have a confident hand when she bakes and really goes at it with gusto, but truthfully, I like them all (minus Ruby).

 

These days, with the FN so loaded with game shows, it's great to be able to watch some serious baking like this show provides.  I hope that some of the tips I've learned will seep into my brain and stay for a while!

Edited November 4, 2015 by Lura

[Brattinella]

I only know what I see, but I've read several times that Paul has a legendary wandering eye. He is supposedly married, but the word is that he still enjoys his dalliances when he's off on assignments.  There was a lot of talk about him and one of the women in the American Bakeoff last year.  Whether any of this is true, I have no idea, and I would not want to make any allegation against him when I don't know.

 

However, solely based on these rumors, I decided early on that Ruby was making a play for Paul, or he for her, or both of them for each other!  (See what a vivid imagination can do to a person? LOL)  The way in which Ruby does her sad sack face (and then the camera catches her with a mile-wide grin afterwards) has caused me to dislike her.  It seems to me that she's putting on a pity act.  I hope she doesn't win, but I've already steeled myself for it. especially if Paul wants to see her smile again.

 

I would be happy if anyone else won.  I really wanted Becca, but ....    Somehow, Kimberly seems to have an assurance about her baking techniques that impresses me, and I wouldn't be surprised if she won.

 

I have to agree with you on all that.  She appears to me to be setting her cap for Old Blue Eyes, and he kinda likes it.  I am so tired of Ruby and her batting eyes and dimples and aw shucks I'm terrible at baking ... GAH!!!

[Athena]

I was never a big fan of Ruby on the original viewing of this show, but I did not think she was batting her eyelashes at Paul. Ruby herself has addressed these accusations and denied them. In fact, she came out as gay this year. I think the online hate for her went way too far.

 

As for Paul, his affair on the American bake off did make the tabloids. I can see him finding Ruby attractive, but so would many people. I do think Mary also appreciates Ruby so it's not for nothing that she got this far. I would have preferred Beca have over Ruby at this stage though.

[editorgrrl]

I was never a big fan of Ruby on the original viewing of this show, but I did not think she was batting her eyelashes at Paul. Ruby herself has addressed these accusations and denied them. In fact, she came out as gay this year.

Once the final airs in the US, I look forward to catching up on the Series 4 gossip. Beca has a page on her blog with links to her fellow bakers: https://becamurphlp.wordpress.com/bakers-dozen/ (Howard Middleton is @HowardMiddlebun—aww!)

[Mabinogia]

I don't think Paul had a thing for Ruby or her for him, but I do think she worked that quivering lip and those puppy dog eyes like nobodies business. Case in point, neither judge made any comment on that crap shed she made and gushed over how good her canapé's looked when they were no fancier than Becca's. I personally thought Becca's looked nicer, bland, but at least nice looking. Ruby's were sloppy looking. No one is going to eat her food which apparently so good the judges overlook the fact that they look like shit when they look like shit. But for whatever reason, probably not wanting to look like they are kicking a puppy, they barely criticized Ruby when she actually deserved to be criticized. It's really annoying and makes her my least favorite contestant on this show. I will not be happy if she wins, and this show is supposed to be my TV happy place.